5 Tips On How To Learn A New Language When Studying Abroad

SchoolApply explains how learning a foreign tongue can be fun and amazing if you follow these expert tricks!

23 October 2017

A massive part of moving to abroad for studies will be learning about a new culture. Central to culture is language and the way we communicate – some things just aren’t funny if you have to translate them! Having a shared tongue opens up opportunities to authentically connect with people and have unique experiences. Check our previous post on the importance of cultural awareness

As a bonus, it also looks really good on your CV! Although English is still the major language used in business today, Mandarin Chinese, French, Arabic and Spanish are also extremely useful according to Bloomberg Rankings.

Learning a second language also has major benefits for your brain. Researchers have found that learning a new language can literally make your brain bigger. People who can speak more than one language fluently get lots of other side benefits – like a better memory, increased creativity and mental flexibility.

These are all skills that will stand you in good stead as you travel to study in brand-new city and country, but there is even more good news as you grow older! Studies have also found that Alzheimer’s disease and the onset of dementia are diagnosed later for bilinguals than for those who only speak one language.

These perks don’t come for free – it takes quite a bit of hard work. Although early childhood is the best time to start learning a new language, these benefits aren’t exclusive to those lucky ones who start learning from birth. But it’s never too late to start.

Here are five tips to make it easier, from those who’ve done it!

Speak from day one

Polyglot Benny Lewis swears by this piece of advice, encouraging learners to make mistakes. Being brave enough to look a bit silly in front of strangers as you try to wrap your tongue around foreign sounds is crucial to learning a new language in Benny’s book. That’s why he encourages his students to just dive in and speak – no matter how bad they sound at first. Being okay with those mistakes will give you a confidence boost that’ll carry over to learning other skills without fear – another unexpected benefit to becoming bilingual.

A new study has found that doing light exercise while you’re learning a new language can help your brain memorise, remember and understand new vocabulary. In the study, students learned while cycling on stationary bikes, but doing some light exercise before and after your lessons should do the trick. Through exercise, your body release neurochemicals that prompt our brain to produce more new brain cells, increasing your ability to learn

Create learning opportunities everywhere

Dedication to practising is key to succeeding at learning a new language, so make it easy for yourself by bringing the learning into everyday life. Put notes on everything with their “new” name, change the language on your phone or browser and watch your favourite movies in the language you’re learning. These little reminders will help to supplement your study time and speed up your learning process, according to the volunteer translators who create subtitles for TED videos.

Make it useful, and fun!

You’re already going to have plenty of self-study to do for your qualification – adding to that list won’t get you far. By making the learning process relevant, you’ll be more interested. For example, if you’re really into music, write songs in the language you’re trying to learn. Duolingo has taken this to a whole new level with their game-like learning process. Their app has made learning a new language simple and fun – with little rewards waiting for you every step of the way.

Join a community

Being able to ask questions and learn with others is invaluable. If you’re struggling to find someone in your area, you can always look online. Reddit has dedicated communities built around different languages, or you can join the flourishing community on Duolingo. There are many fellow-learners on the platform ready to help and answer questions, so don’t be afraid to ask. And as your skills grow, you’ll be able to help others in turn!

As with learning any new skill, you won’t always feel like practising. Remind yourself why you’re learning a new language and of all the many benefits you’re already getting. Before you know it, you’ll have unlocked a whole new world of friends, food, art and experiences through language.

About the Co-Author: Corli de Kock studied journalism and art history in a small little town in South Africa, away from her safe home nest. She's tried her hand at many things, journeying via rock 'n roll to social strategy and eventually copywriting. She's still figuring out what the next thing will be, gathering skills, lessons and friends along the way.

Looking to Study Abroad? SchoolApply can help!

GET MATCHED WITH THE BEST EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD

SchoolApply will help you find, get accepted and eventually enroll at a university that fits you. You’ll work with a SchoolApply advisor who will guide you through the whole application process.
With just one application, you can apply to multiple universities!

The Application Journey

The Application Journey

01

Create Account

To build your SchoolApply profile, you will need to answer a few questions about yourself, your academic goals
and your finances. We won't share this information with anyone else. Creating a SchoolApply account is the first
step in your journey to studying at a university abroad.

02

Upload documents

The documents you upload will help us determine if we can support you in your goal of studying at a university
abroad. You will need to pay a SchoolApply admin fee in order to move on to step 3.

03

Meet your advisor

Your very own advisor will guide you through the Application Journey. At step 3, you will call your advisor so
you can express what is important to you and they can tell you about your options. After the call, your advisor
will send you a list of universities you can apply to.

04

Start application

With SchoolApply, you only need to create one application; your advisor will submit it to the universities for
you. For your application, you will need to include your academic history, English and entrance exam results,
an essay and reference letters. You will also pay an application fee to each university through SchoolApply.

05

Submit application

Your advisor will review the things you uploaded in step 4 and will submit your completed application to the universities
you selected. You will receive a notification when a university's response comes in.

06

Accept an offer

This might be one of the most exciting parts of the Application Journey! To accept an offer, you will need to pay
a deposit (you can do this through SchoolApply) to confirm your acceptance. Remember: you can only accept one
offer!

07

Visa interview

You will need to go to the embassy of the country where you will be studying to get your student visa. Let your
advisor know when the visa interview is scheduled. At this step, we will also offer to help with booking your
flight and arranging housing, insurance and student loans.

08

Study abroad

The final step in your Application Journey is letting us know that you're on your way to university. This step
is the easiest because we don't need any information. At this stage, we can close your SchoolApply account.

Choose your account

SchoolApply lets you choose exactly how much support you will receive as you apply to universities abroad.
When you set up your SchoolApply account, you can continue using the free version or you can make an upgrade to take full advantage of our expert counseling services.

Add Extra Benefits to Your Account

$200

$120

$100

Essay review for Silver Students

$300

Visa application and interview support for Silver Students

Thank you! Your request sent successfully.

Want more?

The Founders account gives you access to all the personal services of the Platinum account, but goes even further. First, our founders will make it their personal mission to get you the best possible acceptance at a top university. Secondly, you will be counselled by top university graduates and senior executives from notable FT500 companies.

This account is by invitation only Price $3,000

Search Schools

Payment

Please make sure that your card is enabled for online payments before you proceed.

We use cookie policy to help us optimize your experience, by continuing you accept this. Read our cookie policy